Iris, non-bearded, 2015

[Jupiter]

Can anyone help me identify this North American. I was given it by my wife's boss, but she wasn't sure of the identity. Could be a hybrid or a species...

[Carolyn]

It looks quite like one I've grown from seed as I.  innominata. Mind you, I don't know if it was correctly named!  Lovely iris anyway. You'll need to make sure it doesn't dry out, Broadleigh Gardens lost their PC irises due to drought. They do well here on the rainy west coast.

[Jupiter]

Thank you for the warning Carolyn. I'll give it a bit of extra attention over summer.

[Robert]

Jamus,

A few questions about your lovely Iris:

How tall does it grow?

How many flowers are there per stem?

If your Iris turns out to be I. innominata make sure that it has excellent drainage, especially with your climatic conditions. I agree that it will need to be kept moist during the summer. The tricky part is balancing the moisture levels when it gets hot. Too much moisture and the plants will rot away. This does not seem to be a problem in areas with cool summers.

There is a chance that your Iris could be a form of I. douglasiana.

The West Coast Irises hybridize freely with each other, even in their wild habitat. Careful examination of the plant is sometimes required to assure that it is indeed a species.

I wish that I could see the plant up front and personal. Perhaps I could help more, but then I am absolutely not an expert. Hopefully someone with more skill than I will see your photograph and make a positive identification.

Good Luck! Regardless it is a beautiful Iris. 

[Carolyn]

Robert,
Interesting to read your comments about drainage. I never give it a thought, and have never had trouble with irises rotting. Summer heat is not a problem here, so your observation seems accurate. Have the PC irises suffered in the prolonged drought in California?

[Robert]

Carolyn,

It has been over 15 years since I have been able to visit the sites of many of the Pacific Coast Iris species in Northwestern California (Southern Oregon too). Each species has its habitat preference and these can vary considerably depending on the species. Some species grow near the coast in the summer fog belt, others grow inland but are still influenced by the cooling ocean breezes during the summer, and still others grow where there is very little or no ocean influence during the summer, experience high summertime temperatures and extremely dry conditions. Some, such as Iris innominata, grow on serpentine. All of this translates into varying water needs for the different species.

Adding to the complexity is the fact that the various species can hybridize with each other both in the wild as well as in cultivation. Iris innominata is a very choice compact species, ideal for the rock garden. Because of these desirable traits it has been used extensively by many hybridizers. Many of the hybrids retain I. innominata's compact habit and glossy foliage. They also tend to be easier to grow in the garden.

Most of the problems with Iris innominata are in hot summer regions where root rots can develop as the result of high temperatures and the need to irrigate this species. Excellent drainage helps ameliorate this situation.

Most of the PCI hybridizing has taken place in Coast California. Breeding for garden tolerance has often lead to a lack of drought tolerance and the need for irrigation (especially in the hot, dry inland areas). Where I live in the hot, dry interior of California, the native Iris species are dealing with the drought extremely well. Both I. hartwegii and I. macrosiphon need no summer irrigation once they are established in the garden. We just had our first autumn rain and they will be coming into growth soon. I can and do keep some of them green during the summer by irrigating them some during the summer. Excellent soil drainage is required for me to get away with this.

These are some of my experiences with PCI in a hot, dry climate. I hope that this information is useful.

[Carolyn]

Interesting information, Robert. The main source of PC irises in the UK is, or perhaps I should say was, Broadleigh, who produced some lovely hybrids. Unfortunately there was a drought in the south of England a couple of years ago (not drought on the Californian scale, it's all relative), and their stock was wiped out. I had been hoping to buy a few more, but now they don't seem to be available. I have been growing some from my own seed, in the hope of getting something nice.

[Maggi Young]

PCI I bought from Broadleigh - when Christine Skelmersdale was speaking in Aberdeen -  failed to thrive here.

 Seed from a friend  in North America has done better.

[Jupiter]

Robert thanks for your thoughts; I'll take a couple of more anatomical photos and make some observations on flowers per stem etc. today. Mine is in the rock garden so drainage shouldn't be an issue and I water sparingly over summer... all I can do is hope for the best.

I have seedlings of all these PCIs coming out of my ears now. I put out a plea for seed and was inundated! I don't know where I'll put them all... many will be given away if I can find worthy recipients.

[Robert]

Carolyn,

Thank you for your input!    I knew nothing of Broadleigh. Very sad that they lost all or most of their stock. 

Jamus,

Of coarse, I have know idea what your garden is like (it looks great!), but I will share a trick I learned. Maybe you already know about it.

When breeding plants sometimes it is necessary to grow 300-400 F2 and maybe 250 or so F3 plants. If one is growing tomatoes or something like that, this can take a huge amount of space. Fortunately at the F2 and F3 level one can select for some general characteristics and everything will work out fine. To get around the space issue I would often grow 25-45 F2 or F3 tomatoes in 2 gallon pots. I could select for some general characteristics such as color of fruit, shape, and maybe a few other traits and grow these on. This also works in the ground too as long as one spaces the plants evenly (but still very close together).

Maybe you can do this with your PCI? Maybe you can put a bunch in a big pot(s) or in an out-of-the way spot in the garden and select a few plants you want to keep, give away a bunch, and the others can be recycled in the compost bin.

This works for me with a large variety of plants. I see no reason why it would not work with PCI. This does work for me. It is just an idea, and hopefully a helpful one 

[Carolyn]

PCI I bought from Broadleigh - when Christine Skelmersdale was speaking in Aberdeen -  failed to thrive here.

 Seed from a friend  in North America has done better.

Maggi,
Perhaps you were unlucky with the weather while your plants were establishing? I remember getting plants from Broadleigh in autumn 2009, just before the 2 hard winters... Needless to say, they did not survive. Meanwhile, my established clumps were OK - a bit ragged after harsh frosts, it got down to -12C here, but they grew away fine.
Our local SRGC group had a talk on iris by Brian Young, of Holmes Farm in Ayrshire. He recommends splitting or moving PC irises in spring, just as root growth is starting, not in autumn, as is often recommended. He says that interfering with them in autumn is risky - interesting, as that's when Broadleigh send out their plants! If I get the opportunity to order more, I would overwinter them in my unheated greenhouse and plant out in spring.

[David Nicholson]

Interesting information, Robert. The main source of PC irises in the UK is, or perhaps I should say was, Broadleigh, who produced some lovely hybrids. Unfortunately there was a drought in the south of England a couple of years ago (not drought on the Californian scale, it's all relative), and their stock was wiped out........

Wonder how I missed the drought (Broadleigh are about 65 miles from me)

[Maggi Young]

I think you're right, Carolyn  - it was late in the season and though we planted them in a sheltered spot to over-winter- it was one of the really cold ones and they all died.

David, from what I hear of your weather - it will have been the fact that the clouds emptied over you that lead to the Broadleigh drought 

[David Nicholson]

I think you're right, Carolyn  - it was late in the season and though we planted them in a sheltered spot to over-winter- it was one of the really cold ones and they all died.

David, from what I hear of your weather - it will have been the fact that the clouds emptied over you that lead to the Broadleigh drought 

 

[Robert]

Around here I only transplant PCI when white active roots are growing. In our region that can be late autumn into the spring. At other times of the season the losses are tremendous. 

Some species and hybrids are tender to cold weather, others are quite cold hardy.